Discovery Academy 2.0

The New Normal in 2021

There is no question that 2020 has brought some unexpected circumstances to everyone. Discovery Academy is no exception. As we were deemed essential workers in the beginning, we have navigated the last few months as if on a river we have never drifted before. The current would pull us along, forcing us to spin and bob at the mercy of the swirling water. We would do our best to read the water and look for rocks and log jams jutting out of the current, often sitting just below the water’s surface. We found ourselves searching the horizon downstream for volatile rapids and even waterfalls so that we could be prepared. While we are still adrift on this river, we have learned from our experiences and are better for it.

Everyone has felt this to some degree or another. In our own individual ways, none of us has been immune to the consequences of this pandemic. However, life doesn’t simply stop. As with the river metaphor, our course may change a bit as we maneuver around a boulder or navigate the rapids, but we keep moving.

Families who have students placed in Wilderness and RTC settings may be thinking about the next step. The hope is always that the student will be able to return home and resume a life of teenage normalcy. Unfortunately, the realities of life don’t always cooperate.

For this reason, Discovery Academy has been providing that necessary transitional care, at such a pivotal point in the student’s treatment, for many years. There is a recognition that “One size does not fit all” when it comes to therapeutic interventions. Individualized and personalized care is the norm at DA.

As a reminder, Discovery Academy works with students who have made good progress in other treatment settings, but they need some continued therapeutic support as they get caught up in school, explore career opportunities and even take on a part time job in the community. Unlike some other transitional settings, Discovery Academy has clinicians on site, assigned to each student and readily available to teach and support the student when they are testing their wings of independence. Group therapy, individual therapy, recreational activities and opportunity for unsupervised access to the local community are all standard processes while attending Discovery Academy.

Below you find the latest on Discovery Academy and the value it provides to those parents and families investing in their son or daughter’s future.

Discovery Academy – UT
www.discoveryacademy.com

Tuition: Funding for Discovery Academy takes place through a variety of sources. Some of these sources include, but are not limited to; private pay, school district funding, adoption services and insurance billing. It is important to remember that each student is privately placed by their family. The tuition rates may vary based on contractual arrangements, discounted rates and usual and customary charges. Please reach out and I will gladly share with you the rates given the particular circumstances of the family you are working with.

Minimum Enrollment: 6 months
Average length of Stay: 10-12 months

Age: Discovery Academy accepts students who are aged 13-18 years old.

24 boy beds/community (Main Campus-Historic Bldg)
15 girls’ beds/community (Main Campus-Separate House)

Clinical Goal: Support the students in a more “normalized” effort of transition. The students who flourish at Discovery Academy are students who are on an upward trajectory in their previous therapeutic engagement yet still need some structured therapeutic support with onsite therapists. Many of these students come to us from wilderness or other residential treatment environments. We meet them where they are at therapeutically and take into account their previous experience and success. The goal is to keep them moving forward while acknowledging and honoring the hard work and progress at their previous placement.

This transition process is encouraged through:

• Individualized and personalized academic goals and progress
• Individual Therapy
• Weekly Family Therapy
• Thematic Group Therapy (DBT, Performing Arts, Recovery, Wilderness)
• Process Group Therapy within their community
• Supervised off-campus activities that include weekend meals, movies, Recreation Center, snowboarding/skiing
• Unsupervised off-campus activity includes service opportunities, job shadowing and the ability to interview for and have a part-time job
• Digital Footprint – technology misuse treatment 

What’s new at DA?

Coding Classes
Cell phone – with clinical approval
Neurofeedback
Brainspotting
Vocational Assessment
Genomic Testing

Technical Training Courses Available Offsite – (On hold due to COVID)
Medical Assistant
Certified Nurses Assistant
Information Systems
IT Project Management

As treatment transitions become a reality and home is not quite the right place for a student coming out of wilderness or an RTC setting, be sure to think of Discovery Academy to help with the transition. Be assured that during the turbulent times of COVID-19,  we value the safety of all students and staff. Therefore, we wear masks, practice social distancing and follow all CDC guidelines. 

Be sure to text, email or call myself or Barbara. We are happy to share with you more info about this unique treatment option and answer any questions you may have.